Liverpool played a very spirited Brighton and Hove that was just flying high after beating Manchester United earlier last week. A hard fought win that saw both sides going in for it and both sides getting tested. Liverpool got the clean sheet they wanted, and with a rare 3 wins and 3 clean sheets in the start of the season. However credit also needs to be given to Brighton who also caused us problems. Plenty of positives need to be said all around for both teams though my major criticism is some better ball control and defensive plays need to be tightened up for Liverpool.
I stayed up late all the way to 2.20am on my bed watching the stream at CRIC Free TV and hoping for a slaughterhouse of Brighton and Hove but the team had found the best way to play against us.... fucking park the bus which I deem it illegal amongst any team in any league.
But eventually we got the needed win. That was important because:
- Manchester City dropped points before the game so to capitalise on their draw.
- Liverpool 3 wins out of 3, to send us to the top of the league.
- 3 consecutive clean sheets
- It'll force a very tough matchup between Manchester United and Tottenham whom they'll face on Monday, a win away for the Spurs would push them to the max points currently, same as Watford and Chelsea should they win too.
Alisson Becker - 7.0
Rarely troubled and pulled off a great save to deny that equalising goal. But he needs to be careful not to get out his line too often, and he should pretty much stick to simple stuff and just secure the ball safely. Sure the Brazil Number 1 is always known to play like a sweeper-keeper but does not mean that he has to, and that kinda irks me off. But then again, I'll take the clean sheet any day of the week.
Trent Alexander-Arnold - 8
Rarely troubled by the experienced Murray and Duffy. Trent played with the level maturity that surpasses his young age. Still has room for improvement, and he knows that himself. Why up to now, as near indispensable of a right back he is, STILL hasn't gotten a better squad number I don't know. He's just about as good or better than any of our right backs we have. Always liked the guy, even showing maturity in his post-match interviews which netted a .5 bonus in his rating.
Here's the interview link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBC06Y9koy4
Virgil Van Dijk - 7
Whoa careful there dude, don't get carried away after being the standout rock last week. He gave quite a few balls away in some cases but he did manage to stabilise his ground with Joe Gomez who was doing a better job than Virgil.
Joe Gomez - 8
Did better than the more experienced and more expensive signing. Made Glenn Murray a little bit like an absolute baby at times. He's starting to synergise well with Virgil but both of them need to continue to refining their craft to ensure they'll reduce any goals conceded as much as possible. That said it'll be very interesting as to whom will Jurgen Klopp would pick in the long run, either Joe or Dejan to stay as a partner to him, cause' either one will work, if both stay consistent.
Andy Robertson - 7.5
Bossed the left hand side of the squad and did provide quite a few problems for Brighton as far as his pressing and supporting the attack goes. Simply does what Andy does.
Naby Keita - 7.0
Not exactly his best game as his ball control last night was sometimes all over the place and giving away many loose balls. However his engine and drive were there.
Gini Wijnaldum - 8.5
Although my MOTM wasn't Gini Wijnaldum, he came in close on my decision. Controlling the center of the park is what seems to be his best role now. Aggressive, and strong in duels and again can go defensive or offensive in support of the back four or front three. His consistent performance in the last three games shows why Gini is worth the picking.
James Milner - 8.5
My Man of the match that evening. He put in a professional captain's performance, bossing the midfield. After recovering from his head injury he was again on the receiving end of some heavy challenges and tackles. But he took it like a champ and soldiered on. Provided that setup for that all-decisive goal. The only play that has been consistent throughout the last couple months since the pre-season. Gonna be 33 in half a year and he's still thriving pretty good in his role as the Right Midfielder. His knack of a vision gave him many opportunities to time his attack runs, getting cues from Keita and Trent to find space and initiate.
Mo Salah - 7.5
Scored a decisive goal that decided the win. However if he pulled back his power a little bit, he could have scored maybe two or three more in his other attempts. But ah well, one goal better than nothing. 29 in 29 Premier League appearances, a 1:1 ratio which is pretty sweet. Hope he keeps it up.
Sadio Mane - 6
Sadio probably was having a bit of an off day. But still, he tried his luck when he could. Could have been better with his ball control and follow up shots. I don't blame him, he just has to try hard for the next game.
Roberto Firmino - 7
Did a bit better this game. He did suffer a knock and have one his socks and shoes ripped from a challenge. Still far off from his best but I'm not worried so far.
MANAGER RATING: 7.5
To be honest, he could do with a few tweaks to the starting line-up. But nonetheless it's effective. I'd give a run to Shaqiri and Fabinho, they really should have a full debut here. The substitutes of Sturridge, Matip and Henderson were effective to shore the defenses and see the game through.
Brighton and Hove Team Rating: 8.0
A lot of positives to be taken for the team even though they lost. Brighton was much improved this season. And their losses against Watford and Liverpool aren't huge either. They too were causing a lot of problems that make them extremely difficult to take them down. However this was also in part of Liverpool also falling asleep on their counter and giving away loose balls and getting dispossessed a lot during the game. Well we don't have to worry about them until January the 12th 2019. If they stay playing this well like what they did to us and Manchester United, they will definitely be completely fine for the games ahead. So yeah, big big big thumbs up to Brighton and Hove for their courageous effort. The next one for them will be Southampton so it should be a more comfortable game since they are also playing at home.
Whereas we will be:
NEXT GAME: LEICESTER CITY AWAY
Definitely it's gonna be a difficult team away. Leicester are playing quite well, 2 wins after their loss against Manchester United 2-1. This would be another proper test as a win over us would place them the same 9 points. Another clean sheet for us though would set the ball rolling for some strong defensive plays should we draw or win without conceding. The win subsequently would be best as at the time of this writing, Watford will draw level with us on points.
Sunday, August 26, 2018
Tuesday, August 21, 2018
Matchday 2: Crystal Palace 0-2 Liverpool Ratings & Matchday 3 Preview: vs Brighton and Hove on 25th August 2018
Liverpool maintained their strong start to the season with a 2-0 victory away in Selhurst Park. As with most of their encounters in this ground, it was a difficult game especially against Crystal Palace. Of course a win is the result needed but despite it, Klopp was not too happy with it and he knew for a fact there's far more room to improve. The defenses did hold up well with Alisson and Van Dijk leading the scores today. More could be done, which we hope to see in our next fixture which will be:
HOME against Brighton and Hove on the 25th August, the side you guessed it, that created an upset by absolutely steamrolling Manchester United during the 1st half in a thrilling 3-2 victory. Apart from the very last penalty that gave Manchester the 2nd goal, it was otherwise a very comfortable result that Brighton would be happy with.
But let's get down to the player ratings first:
Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker - 8.5
He was given a much bigger test against a club with a difficult ground to play on. He was tested quite fairly and made a heck of a save from a free-kick set piece. His distribution was good; rather than playing high passes that most keepers do, he knows how to judge and play passing football as if he was an 11th outfield player. Although significantly harder match compared to West Ham, he was rarely in trouble.
Right Back: Trent Alexander-Arnold - 7.0
Didn't really go forward as strongly but did not really put a foot wrong either. He kept Zaha quiet which could otherwise spell disaster from the talented Winger. Gradually grew into the game as time went on.
Center Back: Joe Gomez - 8.0
Getting increasingly assured when partnered with Van Dijk. Benteke or Zaha? Not a problem for the young Joe. This will give Klopp a selection headache because Joe is definitely good enough as a drop in replacement for Dejan Lovren and completely eclipsing Joel Matip.
Center Back: Virgil Van Dijk - 9.0
Cool as you like it, easy as you like it. That's our confident Virgil that Southampton failed to get the most out of. Crystal Palace simply could not find an answer to the formidable Dutchman. Hope he stays consistent like this to make his 75 Million Pound price tag worth it.
Left Back: Andy Robertson - 7.5
Typical Andy Robertson that doesn't need that much mentioning. Next!
Midfielder: Naby Keita - 8.0
Showing his class again with his own engine, Keita once again proved why it was worth the wait. Providing the tempo for the left side of the squad and running riot with Robertson and Mane. The left sided synergy seems to start maturing now.
Midfielder: Gini Wijnaldum - 7.5
Growing increasingly reliable as a Number 6, giving Klopp a potential selection headache as he can depend on 3 capable number 6s of Gini, Fabinho and Henderson. Given how he has been playing though, I highly doubt Klopp will swap him out for the future match against Brighton.
Midfielder: James Milner - 8.0
His game was significantly quieter for him but he deserves a bit of an extra point for his coolly slotted penalty. This also gives him a record, of not losing in 48 matches since he scored and lost a game after. A definitely worthy achievement.
Striker: Mohamed Salah - 8.0
Not the best game he has had but he definitely caused so many problems for Crystal Palace's defense. He should have gotten a few goals off I feel, and make the scoreline much more comfortable. However he was still instrumental and contributed to both goals, winning the penalty for Milner and provided the lightning breakthrough to assist for Mane's closing goal and causing Crystal Palace to go down to 10-man in the process. Not a pretty indirect way to cause this kind of havoc but that's good enough for me and I'm sure fellow Reds wouldn't mind.
Striker: Sadio Mane - 8.5
Mane has been in sizzling form and just keeps improving. If Salah can't do it, Mane will. He has simply been brilliant, with a good scoring run of 14 in 18 matches with Liverpool. Could be an outside chance that this season's Golden Boot would be Sadio's to take.
Center Forward: Roberto Firmino - 7.0
As to why how come Firmino hasn't blossomed yet this season is still beyond me. He'll definitely want to up his game later on. However he did control the flow up front more like an Attacking Midfielder which was enough to cause problems.
How my Lineup against Brighton predicted:
Alisson Becker
Trent, Joe Gomez, Virgil, Andy Robertson
Fabinho, Keita, Wijnaldum
Salah, Firmino and Mane
I seriously doubt, with the exception of Milner and maybe Firmino, that Klopp would make any significant tweaks to the line-up against Brighton. However that said, the side because of scraping goals at the tail end of each half, they need to show far more anger against a side that made quick work against Manchester United earlier. This game could be a true test for the back 4 as Brighton are flying high with confidence after the comfortable win.
Bench-wise, Mignolet after the releasing Karius on loan will be back there. The Belgian could very well redeem himself over the course of the season. Other than this change the rest of the bench should stay the same.
Head to head, Brighton had not defeated Liverpool since 1984 FA Cup. Although the Reds have defeated them very heavily in their last 4 encounters, they still better ensure their defences are locked tight and not be overly complacent.
HOME against Brighton and Hove on the 25th August, the side you guessed it, that created an upset by absolutely steamrolling Manchester United during the 1st half in a thrilling 3-2 victory. Apart from the very last penalty that gave Manchester the 2nd goal, it was otherwise a very comfortable result that Brighton would be happy with.
But let's get down to the player ratings first:
Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker - 8.5
He was given a much bigger test against a club with a difficult ground to play on. He was tested quite fairly and made a heck of a save from a free-kick set piece. His distribution was good; rather than playing high passes that most keepers do, he knows how to judge and play passing football as if he was an 11th outfield player. Although significantly harder match compared to West Ham, he was rarely in trouble.
Right Back: Trent Alexander-Arnold - 7.0
Didn't really go forward as strongly but did not really put a foot wrong either. He kept Zaha quiet which could otherwise spell disaster from the talented Winger. Gradually grew into the game as time went on.
Center Back: Joe Gomez - 8.0
Getting increasingly assured when partnered with Van Dijk. Benteke or Zaha? Not a problem for the young Joe. This will give Klopp a selection headache because Joe is definitely good enough as a drop in replacement for Dejan Lovren and completely eclipsing Joel Matip.
Center Back: Virgil Van Dijk - 9.0
Cool as you like it, easy as you like it. That's our confident Virgil that Southampton failed to get the most out of. Crystal Palace simply could not find an answer to the formidable Dutchman. Hope he stays consistent like this to make his 75 Million Pound price tag worth it.
Left Back: Andy Robertson - 7.5
Typical Andy Robertson that doesn't need that much mentioning. Next!
Midfielder: Naby Keita - 8.0
Showing his class again with his own engine, Keita once again proved why it was worth the wait. Providing the tempo for the left side of the squad and running riot with Robertson and Mane. The left sided synergy seems to start maturing now.
Midfielder: Gini Wijnaldum - 7.5
Growing increasingly reliable as a Number 6, giving Klopp a potential selection headache as he can depend on 3 capable number 6s of Gini, Fabinho and Henderson. Given how he has been playing though, I highly doubt Klopp will swap him out for the future match against Brighton.
Midfielder: James Milner - 8.0
His game was significantly quieter for him but he deserves a bit of an extra point for his coolly slotted penalty. This also gives him a record, of not losing in 48 matches since he scored and lost a game after. A definitely worthy achievement.
Striker: Mohamed Salah - 8.0
Not the best game he has had but he definitely caused so many problems for Crystal Palace's defense. He should have gotten a few goals off I feel, and make the scoreline much more comfortable. However he was still instrumental and contributed to both goals, winning the penalty for Milner and provided the lightning breakthrough to assist for Mane's closing goal and causing Crystal Palace to go down to 10-man in the process. Not a pretty indirect way to cause this kind of havoc but that's good enough for me and I'm sure fellow Reds wouldn't mind.
Striker: Sadio Mane - 8.5
Mane has been in sizzling form and just keeps improving. If Salah can't do it, Mane will. He has simply been brilliant, with a good scoring run of 14 in 18 matches with Liverpool. Could be an outside chance that this season's Golden Boot would be Sadio's to take.
Center Forward: Roberto Firmino - 7.0
As to why how come Firmino hasn't blossomed yet this season is still beyond me. He'll definitely want to up his game later on. However he did control the flow up front more like an Attacking Midfielder which was enough to cause problems.
How my Lineup against Brighton predicted:
Alisson Becker
Trent, Joe Gomez, Virgil, Andy Robertson
Fabinho, Keita, Wijnaldum
Salah, Firmino and Mane
I seriously doubt, with the exception of Milner and maybe Firmino, that Klopp would make any significant tweaks to the line-up against Brighton. However that said, the side because of scraping goals at the tail end of each half, they need to show far more anger against a side that made quick work against Manchester United earlier. This game could be a true test for the back 4 as Brighton are flying high with confidence after the comfortable win.
Bench-wise, Mignolet after the releasing Karius on loan will be back there. The Belgian could very well redeem himself over the course of the season. Other than this change the rest of the bench should stay the same.
Head to head, Brighton had not defeated Liverpool since 1984 FA Cup. Although the Reds have defeated them very heavily in their last 4 encounters, they still better ensure their defences are locked tight and not be overly complacent.
Sunday, August 19, 2018
Match Day 2 Preview: Liverpool vs Crystal Palace - Away 20th / 21st August 2018
Crystal Palace recently got off to a good start with a 2-0 win over newly promoted Fulham away. Now it's our turn to face them in their home soil. The Reds should be in a good momentum after starting strong with a 4-0 comfortable rout of West Ham United. Following the results over the last couple of games, It will be up to Liverpool to close in the gap on Manchester City following their 6-1 thrashing against Huddersfield. Also newsflash, Manchester United had a shock 3-2 loss against Brighton and Hove Albion with the latter beating them again after beating them 3 months earlier. Elsewhere, Chelsea and Tottenham won their respective games.
Last 5 meetings with Crystal Palace with Brackets for Reds Goalscorers):
29 Oct 2016: Crystal Palace 2-4 Liverpool (Emre Can, Dejan Lovren, Roberto Firmino, Joel Matip) - Premier League
23 Apr 2017: Liverpool 1-2 Crystal Palace (Philip Coutinho) - Premier League
19 Jul 2017: Liverpool 2-0 Crystal Palace (Dominic Solanke, Divock Origi) PL Asia Trophy
19 Aug 2017: Liverpool 1-0 Crystal Palace (Sadio Mane) Premier League
31 Mar 2018: Crystal Palace 1-2 Liverpool (Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah) - Premier League
Frankly speaking, although Liverpool has gotten wins against Palace, they are still a especially difficult team to play against, whether at home or away. However with former Reds Manager Hodgson at the helm, that could be an interesting game as usual.
My starting 11 Predictions:
4-3-3.
Please note that the players I picked, not necessary that all will be picked.
Goalkeeper: Alisson
Selecting the Goalkeeper is pretty much a no-brainer with our new Number 1 Alisson in goal.
Right Back: Trent Alexander Arnold
The ever maturing right back Trent Alexander-Arnold has always been an excellent support of the attack and defense. So Trent's an obvious choice.
Center Back Pairing: Virgil Van Dijk and Joel Matip
The selection of Virgil is as usual. However his partner can be an interesting choice. Although Joe Gomez is ready to step up to the playing field as a potential partner, it'll be quite ideal if Joe Matip also gets a start until Lovren returns to pair with Virgil Van Dijk. Therefore, my ideal pick would be the Cameroonian. For now we need a good depth of Center backs and keeping Joel Matip fit with some games in his belt would be essential. Trust me, he needs it.
Left Back: Andrew Robertson
The bargain buy is an obvious picking over Moreno, not much needed to say about it.
Holding 6: Fabinho
He'll definitely fill in the position of a holding midfielder, the job that Gini Wijnaldum fared well in last week in his absence. He did not play in the first game so expect Fabinho to make a full debut.
Left Midfield: Naby Keita
The left-sided complete midfielder can dominate with just his presence and technique alone. He can pull back or support the attack if need be.
Right Midfield: James Milner
No doubt this guy will be our midfield machine on the right hand side. Plays nearly like a Right Winger with his fast enduring runs even at that age and would definitely play well for this match. It is highly likely I feel that James Milner will be the primary starter and captain over Jordan Henderson but the latter would definitely be on the bench. However I wouldn't mind the option of Xherdan Shaqiri starting in his place.
Left Wing Forward: Sadio Mane
The penalties that he has been taking has been doing him a lot of good in terms of his confidence and morale, no wonder he let loose a nice brace against West Ham. He'll have to come in here.
Striker: Firmino / Daniel Sturridge
This is a difficult one as Firmino is more like the Attacking Driver than a goal scorer which synergizes with his fellow attacking buddies. Whereas Daniel Sturridge has been extremely sharp and on crazy hot form ever since the pre-season. Starting him would also be a good choice provided he doesn't get injured. But for sure be in the starting line-up at least as a super sub as he did against West Ham.
Right Wing Forward: Mohamed Salah
Things got off to a relatively quieter start for the Egyptian so far but it does not hide the fact that with his fellow frontline attackers, he is a huge threat to many top sides. Many have fallen to just his attacking prowess alone. He will definitely try to go for at least one goal as he usually does.
BENCH SUBSTITUTES
Loris Karius - in a case that things go tits up with Alisson, Loris should be on standby but I highly doubt that will be the case.
Jordan Henderson - Henderson came in for Firmino to give the former some additional game time. His defensive play would be handy to see games out.
Joe Gomez - Joe proved himself as effective against West Ham, definitely can sub in for an attacker to shore up the defense.
Daniel Sturridge - Master Super Sub, if he needs to pull off a magical moment, Daniel would definitely try to do that, with the help of his new brother redman Keita.
Gini Wijnaldum - Still highly dependable, Gini would be an ideal choice to sub in for Keita or Fabinho if they get tired.
Xherdan Shaqiri - Xherdan would be a good choice to sub in for Salah or Mane to maintain the flow of attack. However, having him start over Milner I feel, wouldn't be a bad idea either.
Nathaniel Clyne - On hand for Trent if things go awry.
Last 5 meetings with Crystal Palace with Brackets for Reds Goalscorers):
29 Oct 2016: Crystal Palace 2-4 Liverpool (Emre Can, Dejan Lovren, Roberto Firmino, Joel Matip) - Premier League
23 Apr 2017: Liverpool 1-2 Crystal Palace (Philip Coutinho) - Premier League
19 Jul 2017: Liverpool 2-0 Crystal Palace (Dominic Solanke, Divock Origi) PL Asia Trophy
19 Aug 2017: Liverpool 1-0 Crystal Palace (Sadio Mane) Premier League
31 Mar 2018: Crystal Palace 1-2 Liverpool (Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah) - Premier League
Frankly speaking, although Liverpool has gotten wins against Palace, they are still a especially difficult team to play against, whether at home or away. However with former Reds Manager Hodgson at the helm, that could be an interesting game as usual.
My starting 11 Predictions:
4-3-3.
Please note that the players I picked, not necessary that all will be picked.
Goalkeeper: Alisson
Selecting the Goalkeeper is pretty much a no-brainer with our new Number 1 Alisson in goal.
Right Back: Trent Alexander Arnold
The ever maturing right back Trent Alexander-Arnold has always been an excellent support of the attack and defense. So Trent's an obvious choice.
Center Back Pairing: Virgil Van Dijk and Joel Matip
The selection of Virgil is as usual. However his partner can be an interesting choice. Although Joe Gomez is ready to step up to the playing field as a potential partner, it'll be quite ideal if Joe Matip also gets a start until Lovren returns to pair with Virgil Van Dijk. Therefore, my ideal pick would be the Cameroonian. For now we need a good depth of Center backs and keeping Joel Matip fit with some games in his belt would be essential. Trust me, he needs it.
Left Back: Andrew Robertson
The bargain buy is an obvious picking over Moreno, not much needed to say about it.
Holding 6: Fabinho
He'll definitely fill in the position of a holding midfielder, the job that Gini Wijnaldum fared well in last week in his absence. He did not play in the first game so expect Fabinho to make a full debut.
Left Midfield: Naby Keita
The left-sided complete midfielder can dominate with just his presence and technique alone. He can pull back or support the attack if need be.
Right Midfield: James Milner
No doubt this guy will be our midfield machine on the right hand side. Plays nearly like a Right Winger with his fast enduring runs even at that age and would definitely play well for this match. It is highly likely I feel that James Milner will be the primary starter and captain over Jordan Henderson but the latter would definitely be on the bench. However I wouldn't mind the option of Xherdan Shaqiri starting in his place.
Left Wing Forward: Sadio Mane
The penalties that he has been taking has been doing him a lot of good in terms of his confidence and morale, no wonder he let loose a nice brace against West Ham. He'll have to come in here.
Striker: Firmino / Daniel Sturridge
This is a difficult one as Firmino is more like the Attacking Driver than a goal scorer which synergizes with his fellow attacking buddies. Whereas Daniel Sturridge has been extremely sharp and on crazy hot form ever since the pre-season. Starting him would also be a good choice provided he doesn't get injured. But for sure be in the starting line-up at least as a super sub as he did against West Ham.
Right Wing Forward: Mohamed Salah
Things got off to a relatively quieter start for the Egyptian so far but it does not hide the fact that with his fellow frontline attackers, he is a huge threat to many top sides. Many have fallen to just his attacking prowess alone. He will definitely try to go for at least one goal as he usually does.
BENCH SUBSTITUTES
Loris Karius - in a case that things go tits up with Alisson, Loris should be on standby but I highly doubt that will be the case.
Jordan Henderson - Henderson came in for Firmino to give the former some additional game time. His defensive play would be handy to see games out.
Joe Gomez - Joe proved himself as effective against West Ham, definitely can sub in for an attacker to shore up the defense.
Daniel Sturridge - Master Super Sub, if he needs to pull off a magical moment, Daniel would definitely try to do that, with the help of his new brother redman Keita.
Gini Wijnaldum - Still highly dependable, Gini would be an ideal choice to sub in for Keita or Fabinho if they get tired.
Xherdan Shaqiri - Xherdan would be a good choice to sub in for Salah or Mane to maintain the flow of attack. However, having him start over Milner I feel, wouldn't be a bad idea either.
Nathaniel Clyne - On hand for Trent if things go awry.
Monday, August 13, 2018
Match Day 1: Liverpool vs West Ham Player Ratings (12-August-2018) - Milner Masterclass leads to all forwards blazing.
Hey all, this is a new blog meant for most of the matches that I'll be watching for the Liverpool's Season! I'm a guy that's a musician and an avid Liverpool Supporter from Singapore.
Prior to their very first Match day of the season, Liverpool had a strong transfer window and a strong run of results in their considered very intensive pre-season game. So when they faced off against Manuel Pellegrini's West Ham United, they put up a strong show that demonstrated a very convincing start to the new season. The scoreline could have been a few more towards Liverpool's favour, if not for some of the goalkeeping heroics by former Gunner Lukasz Fabianski who tried his best to minimise the damage. To Lukasz's credit, he was the one that had the most decent game amongst the hammers which is why I gave a 7. He had a few really good saves and because of their shocking defense, there wasn't anything he could have done with the goals leaked in, especially Mane's first.
So here's my very first Player Ratings last night:
My location last night: Starker Bistro @ Singapore, Katong Square.
GK: Alisson Becker - 6.5 / 10
Rarely tested and had nothing much to do. However it is good to see that Alisson feels confident and comfortable. It is too early to say anything much for the used-to-be record signing Goalkeeper (Kepa overtook that record this transfer window), but initial signs are promising after the horror show with Karius. The all-important clean sheet is definitely good for morale and keeping the momentum up, hope for more to come from our new Number 1.
But seriously, how we spent 65 Million pounds and he doesn't get the number 1 jersey is way beyond me. Well, his Number 13 is here to stay.
LB: Andrew Robertson - 7.5 / 10
Provided a strong avenue in attack in support of the left wing with Naby Keita and provided the assist for Mohamed Salah's first goal. Has been showing why Andy Robertson is a huge bargain buy and worth more than 8 million when he was picked up.
CB: Joe Gomez - 6.5 / 10
It is the first time that we see a new Center Back pairing and Joe steps in for the injured Lovren. The backline was rarely tested but when they were, it was pretty much routine.
CB: Virgil Van Dijk - 7 / 10
Marshalled the Back four well in front of Alisson. He did give a few balls away that did result in a couple nervy moments when facing West Ham's biggest threat Arnautovic but their attack eventually fizzled out. Of course he would have to do better but already he has given the back four a sense of confidence when he is in play.
RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold - 8.5 / 10
The young but very experienced Champions League finalist is full of energy providing a strong linkup in attack supporting the right wing with James Milner. It was Trent that helped to setup Mane's first goal with a pass that cuts through 2 West Ham Midfielders from the right down the center. He was a constant threat on the right wing that provided a lot of difficulty for the Hammers to defend against. An ever growing youngster who will get better with time. Definitely expect some greater things from the graduate this season as he has done for 2017 / 2018.
LM: Naby Keita - 8 / 10
Beware, Naby is in the house and he convinced with a strong debut. He wasted no time to get the ball rolling and was able to rotate between attack and defence when it was needed and it showed that he could be the complete package of a midfielder. Setting the tempo right and was heavily involved in the buildup to Salah's goal. The one year period to get him was surely worth the wait.
CM: Gini Wijnaldum - 8 / 10
Played well in the number 6 role in terms of linking up with every one else in the field. Gini has shown his versatility in the central role. Could have converted a few scoring opportunities to increase that scoreline but he was unlucky.
RM: James Milner, Captain - 9 / 10 (Man of the Match)
It takes more than 15 stitches and a huge bandanna for a bandage to put down this hard head. Not even that will stop him from playing. That's commitment and professionalism. The oldest player on the pitch was the driving engine of the midfield and put up a masterclass while giving experience to the squad. Simply put, it is like Milner is the conductor of an orchestra running the show. His energy, agility and endurance levels at that age, and with a head injury, was staggering which was needed for that burst of speed that gave the lightning assist to Sadio Mane's first goal, leaving Fabianski with absolutely no chance. He put another assist from the corner for Daniel Sturridge. He along with Trent were the ones bottling the Hammers to their goal most of the time.
LW / LF: Sadio Mane - 8.5 / 10
A solid outing for our promoted Number 10 that gave him his brace. It also gave him the honor of scoring in 3 consecutive opening games for the reds in a row. He was in good form since returning from the world cup and was a constant menace down the left wing. His first goal at the stroke of half time opened the floodgates for the 2nd half and effectively killed the game with his 2nd goal. But shame, didn't go for the hat trick.
CF: Roberto Firmino - 7.5 / 10
Considering he was not fully fit, he still did reasonably well. Moreover starting him was needed to rebuild his fitness and he did reasonably well. He did drove the center and tasked with breaking through the frontlines, he succeeded in assisting for Mane's 2nd goal. Give him a bit more time to return to full fitness and I reckon he'll be fine.
RW / RF: Mohamed Salah - 8 / 10
Simply does what Salah does. He was a bit quiet at times but that goal was certainly needed to build his confidence after his team's rather shambolic world cup. With that goal, he has scored 3 times against the same team consecutively, making him pretty much West Ham's nemesis. Still takes his chances whenever he can and I think he should just keep doing that.
SUBSTITUTES
Daniel Sturridge (for Mo Salah) - UR
Cannot really rate him because he was brought in so late. But super-sub he was indeed because it only takes one touch and a few seconds on the pitch to confirm the win. His dance is back too and he has been having the form of his life the last few weeks. If he stays fit and keeps in form as he has done pre-season, it will not be long till he is back to his clinical self of 2013/14.
Henderson (for Firmino) - 7
Got the captain's armband from Milner and was back to defensive duty the last 20 minutes of the game, complimenting well with the rest of the midfield.
Xherdan Shaqiri (For Sadio Mane) - UR
Didn't have much time to make an impact but he did take a chance well and could have gotten himself a goal on his debut at the last kick of the game.
Unused Subs: Adam Lallana, Nathaniel Clyne, Loris Karius, Fabinho.
Manager Rating: Jurgen Klopp - 8
Klopp has named a good squad as he typically does for a game. Some of the changes like Lovren unable to make it for any reason were enforced and Gomez was rewarded with a start. Handing debuts to Keita and Alisson was pretty much a no brainer. He could have swapped Firmino for Fabinho to shore up the defences a little bit but it was not needed when the game is pretty much killed with Mane.
There is always room for improvement; definitely no means perfect but this is a good sign so far. They're not that far from achieving that perfect synergy within this 2018/2019 squad, but cross your fingers they'll get even better and more formidable as the season rolls on.
West Ham Ratings:
Initially West Ham were pretty compact as a squad and they started well in the first 10-15 minutes and tested their own defense with the incoming blitzkrieg. But many times, Noble finds himself in the middle too spread out from his teammates which allowed the Liverpool Midfield trio of Keita, Milner, Wijnaldum with some help from Trent to exploit that space. Anderson and Anautovic did pose a few problems and tested the backline but it was not quite enough to get the job done. But there was a huge positive from the Number 1, Fabianski pulled off a brilliant save against Trent's free kick and another very tight one to deny Salah his 2nd goal, these would have otherwise made the score far more embarrassing for Manuel Pellegrini for his Debut match as a West Ham manager. But what was ever more painful is a double nut-shot by a powerful James Milner free kick and a Mo Salah followup inflicted on Jack Wilshere and Nobles, that must have hurt big time, see the clip on the right.
Fabianski 7, Fredericks 4, Balbeuna 4.5, Ogbonna 4, Masuaku 4, Nobles , Wilshire 5, Rice 4, Antonio 5, Anderson 5, Anautovic 5.5.
Manuel Pellegrini: 6
NEXT MATCH:
CRYSTAL PALACE 21st August 2018, Away.
Prior to their very first Match day of the season, Liverpool had a strong transfer window and a strong run of results in their considered very intensive pre-season game. So when they faced off against Manuel Pellegrini's West Ham United, they put up a strong show that demonstrated a very convincing start to the new season. The scoreline could have been a few more towards Liverpool's favour, if not for some of the goalkeeping heroics by former Gunner Lukasz Fabianski who tried his best to minimise the damage. To Lukasz's credit, he was the one that had the most decent game amongst the hammers which is why I gave a 7. He had a few really good saves and because of their shocking defense, there wasn't anything he could have done with the goals leaked in, especially Mane's first.
So here's my very first Player Ratings last night:
My location last night: Starker Bistro @ Singapore, Katong Square.
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| At Starker Bistro watching Alisson Becker securing his clean sheet |
GK: Alisson Becker - 6.5 / 10
Rarely tested and had nothing much to do. However it is good to see that Alisson feels confident and comfortable. It is too early to say anything much for the used-to-be record signing Goalkeeper (Kepa overtook that record this transfer window), but initial signs are promising after the horror show with Karius. The all-important clean sheet is definitely good for morale and keeping the momentum up, hope for more to come from our new Number 1.
But seriously, how we spent 65 Million pounds and he doesn't get the number 1 jersey is way beyond me. Well, his Number 13 is here to stay.
LB: Andrew Robertson - 7.5 / 10
Provided a strong avenue in attack in support of the left wing with Naby Keita and provided the assist for Mohamed Salah's first goal. Has been showing why Andy Robertson is a huge bargain buy and worth more than 8 million when he was picked up.
CB: Joe Gomez - 6.5 / 10
It is the first time that we see a new Center Back pairing and Joe steps in for the injured Lovren. The backline was rarely tested but when they were, it was pretty much routine.
CB: Virgil Van Dijk - 7 / 10
Marshalled the Back four well in front of Alisson. He did give a few balls away that did result in a couple nervy moments when facing West Ham's biggest threat Arnautovic but their attack eventually fizzled out. Of course he would have to do better but already he has given the back four a sense of confidence when he is in play.
RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold - 8.5 / 10
The young but very experienced Champions League finalist is full of energy providing a strong linkup in attack supporting the right wing with James Milner. It was Trent that helped to setup Mane's first goal with a pass that cuts through 2 West Ham Midfielders from the right down the center. He was a constant threat on the right wing that provided a lot of difficulty for the Hammers to defend against. An ever growing youngster who will get better with time. Definitely expect some greater things from the graduate this season as he has done for 2017 / 2018.
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| Watch out for Naby Keita, inheritor of the legendary Number 8 Squad number from Stevie G. |
Beware, Naby is in the house and he convinced with a strong debut. He wasted no time to get the ball rolling and was able to rotate between attack and defence when it was needed and it showed that he could be the complete package of a midfielder. Setting the tempo right and was heavily involved in the buildup to Salah's goal. The one year period to get him was surely worth the wait.
CM: Gini Wijnaldum - 8 / 10
Played well in the number 6 role in terms of linking up with every one else in the field. Gini has shown his versatility in the central role. Could have converted a few scoring opportunities to increase that scoreline but he was unlucky.
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| James Milner Bossing the midfield Old but Gold. |
RM: James Milner, Captain - 9 / 10 (Man of the Match)
It takes more than 15 stitches and a huge bandanna for a bandage to put down this hard head. Not even that will stop him from playing. That's commitment and professionalism. The oldest player on the pitch was the driving engine of the midfield and put up a masterclass while giving experience to the squad. Simply put, it is like Milner is the conductor of an orchestra running the show. His energy, agility and endurance levels at that age, and with a head injury, was staggering which was needed for that burst of speed that gave the lightning assist to Sadio Mane's first goal, leaving Fabianski with absolutely no chance. He put another assist from the corner for Daniel Sturridge. He along with Trent were the ones bottling the Hammers to their goal most of the time.
LW / LF: Sadio Mane - 8.5 / 10
A solid outing for our promoted Number 10 that gave him his brace. It also gave him the honor of scoring in 3 consecutive opening games for the reds in a row. He was in good form since returning from the world cup and was a constant menace down the left wing. His first goal at the stroke of half time opened the floodgates for the 2nd half and effectively killed the game with his 2nd goal. But shame, didn't go for the hat trick.
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| Our Mane Man and our new Number 10 Sadio Mane Celebrates after scoring from an assist from Milner |
CF: Roberto Firmino - 7.5 / 10
Considering he was not fully fit, he still did reasonably well. Moreover starting him was needed to rebuild his fitness and he did reasonably well. He did drove the center and tasked with breaking through the frontlines, he succeeded in assisting for Mane's 2nd goal. Give him a bit more time to return to full fitness and I reckon he'll be fine.
RW / RF: Mohamed Salah - 8 / 10
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| A routine game for the Egyptian King, Mo Salah. |
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| The Dance is back for Danny Sturridge. Celebrating with Xherdan Shaqiri and Virgil Van Dijk |
Daniel Sturridge (for Mo Salah) - UR
Cannot really rate him because he was brought in so late. But super-sub he was indeed because it only takes one touch and a few seconds on the pitch to confirm the win. His dance is back too and he has been having the form of his life the last few weeks. If he stays fit and keeps in form as he has done pre-season, it will not be long till he is back to his clinical self of 2013/14.
Henderson (for Firmino) - 7
Got the captain's armband from Milner and was back to defensive duty the last 20 minutes of the game, complimenting well with the rest of the midfield.
Xherdan Shaqiri (For Sadio Mane) - UR
Didn't have much time to make an impact but he did take a chance well and could have gotten himself a goal on his debut at the last kick of the game.
Unused Subs: Adam Lallana, Nathaniel Clyne, Loris Karius, Fabinho.
Manager Rating: Jurgen Klopp - 8
Klopp has named a good squad as he typically does for a game. Some of the changes like Lovren unable to make it for any reason were enforced and Gomez was rewarded with a start. Handing debuts to Keita and Alisson was pretty much a no brainer. He could have swapped Firmino for Fabinho to shore up the defences a little bit but it was not needed when the game is pretty much killed with Mane.
There is always room for improvement; definitely no means perfect but this is a good sign so far. They're not that far from achieving that perfect synergy within this 2018/2019 squad, but cross your fingers they'll get even better and more formidable as the season rolls on.
West Ham Ratings:
Initially West Ham were pretty compact as a squad and they started well in the first 10-15 minutes and tested their own defense with the incoming blitzkrieg. But many times, Noble finds himself in the middle too spread out from his teammates which allowed the Liverpool Midfield trio of Keita, Milner, Wijnaldum with some help from Trent to exploit that space. Anderson and Anautovic did pose a few problems and tested the backline but it was not quite enough to get the job done. But there was a huge positive from the Number 1, Fabianski pulled off a brilliant save against Trent's free kick and another very tight one to deny Salah his 2nd goal, these would have otherwise made the score far more embarrassing for Manuel Pellegrini for his Debut match as a West Ham manager. But what was ever more painful is a double nut-shot by a powerful James Milner free kick and a Mo Salah followup inflicted on Jack Wilshere and Nobles, that must have hurt big time, see the clip on the right.
Fabianski 7, Fredericks 4, Balbeuna 4.5, Ogbonna 4, Masuaku 4, Nobles , Wilshire 5, Rice 4, Antonio 5, Anderson 5, Anautovic 5.5.
Manuel Pellegrini: 6
NEXT MATCH:
CRYSTAL PALACE 21st August 2018, Away.
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